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Uchiha Haru wanted people who obeyed orders and could get things done for him.
Not a bunch of reckless souls who were unafraid of death.
Such people were far too difficult to control.
Letting them live was basically inviting trouble down the road.
So, on one hand, he looked down on those afraid of death.
But on the other, he was satisfied with the current state of affairs.
Of course, not everyone begging for mercy was truly convinced.
Some surrendered only reluctantly, pressured by the situation.
No one knew how many nursed thoughts of revenge deep in their hearts.
But Haru didn't concern himself too much with those people. The ones who thought this way were smart—too smart, in fact. And the smarter they were, the more trouble they posed.
As long as Haru could keep them suppressed for a while, Mei Terumi would have enough time to fully control Kirigakure.
After that, Haru wouldn't have to worry about Kirigakure's affairs anymore.
Mei Terumi definitely had the capability to keep these people in check and manage Kirigakure well.
Under the control of his chakra, the binding vines slowly loosened, retracting into the earth little by little until they disappeared entirely.
Kirigakure's senior officials present finally exhaled in relief.
They knew their lives were spared.
"Thank you, Minister Haru!"
They hurriedly expressed their gratitude, fearing any carelessness might provoke Haru again.
"Don't thank me yet," Haru said coolly.
"You've done far too many wrongs before. I have recorded everything."
"You might escape the death penalty for now, but this won't be so easily forgotten."
"Minister Haru, please tell us what we should do," the senior officials of Kirigakure said earnestly. "As long as it's within our power, we will follow your orders!"
"I want it simple," Haru replied.
"In the past, no matter what you did in Kirigakure, no matter how you treated the villagers, I turned a blind eye."
"But now that the Police Department has been established, I don't want to see any more of those things happen."
Haru's eyes scanned the room as he spoke.
The Kirigakure leaders quickly nodded.
"Of course, of course."
"We will abide by the law and satisfy Minister Haru!"
"It's not just to satisfy you," one added quickly, "but to satisfy the Mizukage and the people of Kirigakure."
Haru lightly drummed his fingers on the table.
"This time, so many villagers have come forward to report you. The public resentment is strong. I don't want to see that again."
"Yes, yes, yes!"
"We must do this to satisfy Minister Haru, the Mizukage, and the villagers!"
The Kirigakure officials spoke hastily, careful not to offend in any way. At least on the surface, their words rang true.
"Besides..." Haru raised his gaze to the pools of blood and shattered bones littering the floor.
"What about them?"
Not all who were killed were minor players.
Several were regarded as big shots with good reputations in Kirigakure.
If they died here, Haru certainly didn't care.
Kill them.
What else could the forces behind these people possibly think?
If they dared to resist, just keep killing them.
Still, since Mei Terumi took over, Kirigakure seemed drenched in bloodshed.
It would be better if this could be resolved more gently.
"I... I swear these people saw their crimes exposed, the irrefutable evidence laid bare before them, so they grew hostile and planned to attack Minister Haru in public," one official blurted out nervously. "They were killed by our combined efforts!"
"Yes! That's exactly it!"
"These people really went too far!"
...
As they spoke, their faces blazed with righteous indignation.
As if everything they said had truly happened before their eyes.
Haru nodded.
Though these people feared death, they were undoubtedly intelligent.
They didn't need him to say more; they understood immediately.
Such people had flaws, but they were useful. It was worth keeping them alive.
"Good."
"Now that everything is clear, you may leave."
Haru said calmly.
"Go!"
Hearing this word, Kirigakure's senior officials' hearts nearly leapt from their chests in joy.
They wanted to leave immediately.
No one wished to stay in this dim, cramped room any longer.
No one wanted to face the young man before them who carried such a heavy oppressive aura.
One by one, they saluted Haru with forced smiles and quickly left.
At that moment, Mei Terumi appeared on the scene with a sudden flash.
Seeing the scene before her, her expression froze.
The bloody carnage she had imagined in her mind was nowhere to be found; instead, the atmosphere even felt somewhat harmonious.
Yet, she couldn't shake a strange feeling.
This wasn't how it should be...
Some had been fiercely defiant, but now they were as meek as lambs.
Only upon stepping into the room and seeing the blood did she realize none of this was as simple as it seemed.
"Lord Mizukage has arrived."
Haru chuckled softly.
Though he addressed her formally, his tone was teasing.
Mei Terumi didn't feel the slightest discomfort or disgust.
Though now the Fifth Mizukage and the undisputed power at the top of Kirigakure, she never forgot who had brought her here...
And the promise she made.
As long as Uchiha Haru did not do anything that would harm Kirigakure Village, Mei Terumi was even willing to obey the man before her.
It sounded humiliating.
The Mizukage of Kirigakure was effectively controlled by another.
It wasn't that she hadn't thought of resistance, but the truth was—it was far too difficult.
Uchiha Haru's strength left her feeling utterly powerless.
So when Haru proposed that the Uchiha Clan formally join the Hidden Mist Village, she did not refuse.
Admittedly, this greatly enhanced Haru's influence.
But at the same time, it became a vulnerability.
Haru was strong, no doubt, and they could do nothing to stop him—but what about the rest of the Uchiha Clan?
Not all were as formidable as he was.
Moreover, there was another aspect to consider.
If the Uchiha Clan became part of Kirigakure, then the clan and village would share common interests.
They would share prosperity—and adversity.
Haru might be indifferent toward Kirigakure itself, but the Uchiha Clan was the family that bore him, raised him.
In this light, Uchiha Haru would avoid doing anything that would harm the Hidden Mist Village.
"What happened here?" Mei Terumi asked.
"Nothing important—just helping you clear some obstacles," Haru answered lightly.
His words seemed genuine.
But the pools of broken bones and decaying flesh scattered across the scene reminded her otherwise.
Still, Mei Terumi didn't press the issue.
Because she didn't truly care about the details.
What mattered to her was the result.
And judging by the way Kirigakure's high-ranking officials had just left, it seemed everything was settled.
Her thoughts drifted to what Haru had said earlier.
"You are too weak."
Weak.
When she heard those words, Terumi's heart rejected them.
She thought it was just a temporary compromise—that things would change in time.
But after witnessing Haru's actions, her perspective shifted.
Perhaps Uchiha Haru was right.
She was weak, timid, lacking confidence.
If there were a powerful force behind her, she wouldn't fear anyone.
What would she choose then?
Compromise?
No. Not her.
It would have to be a fierce, thunderous assault—just like Uchiha Haru did now—killing those who disobey discipline, shaking everyone to their core.
But the reality was, she was alone and powerless.
So she had no choice but to compromise.
Let it continue like this.
Her first act as Mizukage was a compromise.
How could the entrenched, domineering forces of Kirigakure respect her?
They would surely unite against her—this newly appointed Mizukage without identity or backing.
The whole Hidden Mist Village would descend into chaos because of it.
This was the consequence of weakness.
If it weren't for Uchiha Haru, the fifth Mizukage Mei Terumi might not last long and would be forced into retirement.
"I… I understand why you did what you did."
"Thank you," Mei Terumi said, blushing slightly as she recalled what she had said to Haru before.
"Harming Kirigakure?"
Who was the true threat to Kirigakure?
Haru nodded.
It did not surprise him that Mei Terumi understood.
She was a Mizukage who relied on her own strength to secure her position and revive Kirigakure's prosperity.
If she couldn't grasp this, he would truly be surprised.
"What will you do next?" she asked after a moment's thought.
Her mindset had shifted fundamentally; her previous methods were no longer viable, and she needed to change course.
After hesitation, she said, "I want to appease the top leaders of Kirigakure."
Appease.
The recent terror Haru instilled in the village's leadership had left them shaken.
They needed to be calmed.
True, Mei Terumi could seize the opportunity to win over the people's hearts.
But wouldn't that risk alienating Uchiha Haru from the very leaders he had just intimidated?
"You want to use me?"
Haru narrowed his eyes and stared at Mei Terumi.
"I… I didn't mean… I haven't thought it through. I won't do that."
Her expression shifted as she realized how carelessly she'd almost betrayed Haru.
But Haru interrupted.
"No, that's exactly what you should do."
"In any village, someone has to play the bad guy. You're the Mizukage—you can't do it. But I can."
Mei Terumi was a bit surprised.
"But… what about the Uchiha Clan?"
The clan had just joined Kirigakure; they needed recognition.
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